Thoracic Surgery Training Program

Roles and Responsibilities

In the Thoracic Surgery Residency program there exists a chain of command emphasizing graded authority and increasing responsibility as experience is gained, with the thoracic resident having more authority and responsibility than the general surgery residents. Judgments on this delegation of responsibility are made by the attending surgeon who is ultimately responsible for each patient’s care; they are based on his or her direct observation and knowledge of each thoracic resident’s skills and ability. Proper supervision does not conflict with progressively more independent decision-making on the part of the thoracic resident; thus, the degree of supervision may vary with the clinical circumstances and the stage of the thoracic resident. The goals and objectives are outlined for each year of the residency program.